Current desktop publishing and word processing application programs allow a user to create complex document layouts. For instance, documents can be created that include text, graphics, tables, footnotes, endnotes, embedded objects, and a virtually endless array of other types of objects. Document content can also be arranged in a manner to create visually appealing documents. For instance, text can be wrapped around the various types of objects in a document to create an attractive layout. Additionally, text can be formatted in multiple columns by laying out text and other document objects across multiple vertical columns. Multi-column document layouts are easy to read and are commonly utilized in newspapers and magazines.
Although previous desktop and word processing application programs are capable of creating documents with a multi-column layout, these previous applications are severely limited in their capabilities. In particular, previous applications have allowed users to specify only the number of columns that should be utilized within the layout and the width of each of the columns. The application program then renders the document content into the specified number of columns.
More complex multi-column layouts have long been utilized within the newspaper and magazine industries. For instance, a multi-column layout has been utilized wherein a heading, sub-heading, or lead-in spans multiple columns. However, complex multi-column layouts such as these have been typically typeset by hand, which is a tedious and time consuming process. For complex multi-column layouts such as these, current word processing and desktop publishing application programs require a user to manually define the page layout. These programs may then format the content into the manually defined layout. However, these programs cannot take the properties and constraints of the structural elements of a document and calculate the actual distribution of the content between pages and layout the content on each page automatically.
It is with respect to these considerations and others that the various embodiments of the present invention have been made.